The Sprout
The newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Issue 148 June 2020
The Sprout
Issue 148, June 2020
Contents
3 Letters / Botley in Bloom
4 Botley Bridges
6 Latest from WWCC
8 Community Fridge
10 Planning Apps
11 Covid-19 infection
12 Rugby Club
13 Planning apps
14 Scouts Zoom into Action
16 Dean Court Development
17 World in a Jar
18 Ashmolean online
20 Carmen Caldera
23 Elderflowers
25 Randoms
28 LOCKDOWN SUPPORT
From the Editor
Although lockdown has eased a bit, we still aren’t in a position to deliver
a paper version of the Sprout, so this is our second online production.
I’m enjoying the chance to have bigger pictures and in colour, so it may
come as a surprise to find the front cover is in black and white. It shows
the Balch family, just one of the striking photos taken by Carmen Caldera
for her project to record locked-down Botley families for posterity (p20).
Other lockdown activities are: studying pondlife (p17); exploring the
Ashmolean virtually (p18); cooking with elderflowers (p23); delivering
food to the housebound (p8); supporting young families, especially ones
with babies born in the last two months (p4); and camping out in the
garden (or camping in in the sitting room) (p14). On page 11 there is an
article from a retired oncologist explaining how the virus is passed on,
and our end pages detail support available in Botley for everyone who
needs it. And just to remind us there is life beyond all this, good news
about the Community Land Trust’s project to develop some affordable
housing along the Eynsham Road they will start building in the autumn
(p16). And on page 12 is a history of the Rugby Club at the end of North
Hinksey Lane, the oldest in Oxfordshire. There’s still time to comment on
the latest proposal to increase the height of the block of flats on the
corner of Westminster Way if you’re quick. Details on page 6. Happy
reading!
Ag MacKeith
2
Letters to the Editor
Good Old Co-op!
I’m sure I must be writing on behalf of many customers of our local
Botley Co-op when I say thank you very much to all the staff involved in
the deliveries they have been making these past few weeks.
The service is brilliant well-organised, quick and efficient, and much
appreciated.
Well done everyone!
Brenda Bernau
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ROLL UP! ROLL UP!
Just 2 weeks left to enter your gorgeous
front garden into the BOTLEY IN BLOOM
competition. Is your neighbour too shy?
Why not give them a surprise and enter them
as well. They’ll thank you when they get the gong!
Closing date, 15th June, judging starts 22nd.
Winners announced by June 30th, if not before.
PRIZES FOR THE MOST PERFECT PATCH!!
3 CLASSES:
BEST OVER ALL front garden
BEST CAR BOWER
BEST VEGETABLE ELEMENT
Show Botley you’ve got what it takes to give us a thrill. Post a
picture on our Facebook page to show how it’s coming along.
Perhaps you’ll find it’s there already someone else may have
admired it too! To enter, just email name, address and category to
editor@thesprout.org.uk CREATIVITY AND INVENTION
REWARDED, AS WELL AS ALL THAT HARD WORK.
BOTLEY IN BLOOM 2020 – OUR LOCAL FRONT
GARDEN COMPETITION.
3
Botley Bridges during lockdown
Botley Bridges, the local family support service, has
been busy adapting our usual practice to continue to
provide services for families remotely during the
Covid-19 pandemic.
Our Coordinator, Hayley Hayle, has been doing
Facebook live, interactive story and singing sessions
twice a week from her shed. These sessions have also suggested
ideas for home learning including easy and cheap craft activities with
everyday household items. We have had fantastic feedback from
families:
“I've found these virtual sessions
so important in keeping the kids
connected and feeling part of the
community. All your activity ideas
have also helped keep them
happy and occupied. A really
valuable and important service.
Thank you.”
“Thanks so much for making this
easier”
We have been running two Zoom
Baby Groups a week for babies up
to one year old. Parents can sign
up for this, share information,
support each other and join in with
and learn songs suitable for
babies. We also include a
relevant baby topic during every
session such as Treasure Baskets, early language and communication
and looking after yourself. Botley Bridges also recognised that there
was a brand new set of families who would have given birth during the
lockdown period. But these families haven’t just missed out on the
professional support usually available to parents of a new baby, they
were also missing out on support from their families, due to social
distancing regulations. They must be feeling doubly isolated! So we
have joined in partnership with Wheatley’s ‘Maple Tree’, Donnington
4
Doorstep, Flos in the Park, NHS Health Visitors, Oxfordshire
Breastfeeding Support, Oxford Sling Library, Motherkind Café and
OXPI, and are running two weekly Zoom Baby Groups for babies born
since the 1st of March. These have been going for six weeks now, and
we have 59 families signed up from all over Oxfordshire.
Here is some of the feedback:
“It has been so isolating as a first time mum under lockdown this
group helps me feel less alone, exchange tips and advice with other
new mums and build new friendships for the future.”
“I've always felt less alone afterwards. It's just been lovely to see the
faces of other new mums and babies. I have also found it a helpful
forum to share some of my challenges as a new mum.”
“As a new mum I have felt isolated and have found these sessions
invaluable. It is so lovely to see other mums and their babies. Everyone
is supportive of each other which really helps in this crazy time.”
“As we don't get to meet other new mums under lockdown it really is
reassuring to hear what everyone else is going through, to know you
aren't alone and what is normal for a baby your age. I've sadly lost both
my parents and my sister lives in Devon, so it's also a bit like extra
family support at this time, great to have the visiting specialists too from
OXPIP, OBS, sling library, etc – such a great help!”
During the stay-at-home period lots of people have been discovering
paths and walks that they didn't know existed. A couple of volunteers
have also been busy mapping walks in the local area*. These are now
available on the Botley Bridges website along with ideas for activities to
do on your walks.
For further information about any of the above, see our website,
www.botleybridges.org https://www.facebook.com/botleybridges/
is our Facebook page, or contact coordinator@botleybridges.org.uk
Sue Dowe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Seven Fields Walk On the subject of walks, can anyone shed light on
the route of this walk from North Hinksey to South Hinksey? We have
heard it was a popular Sunday walk before the A34 took over. Editor
5
West Way Community Concern
update – June 2020
Application to increase the height and number of flats in
residential block: Botley Development Company (BDC) have now
submitted their application for the changes to the plans for the
residential block, which they revealed to us at their public exhibition in
March. This block will be on the corner where the Co-op and Tesco are
now. See https://westwayconcern.wordpress.com/mace-consultation/
for the links to the exhibition panels. The application is P20/V0921/FUL
and can be viewed on the Vale planning website
We encourage you to make your views known via the Vale’s
consultation process. Comments can be submitted via the website, or
by email to planning@whitehorsedc.gov.uk. Public consultation is open
until 30th May. Comments can usually be received after the official
closing date, so please do comment if you can.
We had hoped to have paper copies of the documentation for people to
look at. However, given the lockdown, that has not been possible.
Summary of the changes:
Under the approved plans, this building is to be 8 storeys high and
contain 120 flats. They now propose to add an additional storey and 30
extra flats. There would now be 67 1-bed flats, 82 2-bed flats and 1 3-
bed flat, increased from 51 1-bed, 68 2-bed and 1 3-bed flats.
The height of the building will be increased by 1.5m, which will
make it 30.7m high in total, which is 5.4m higher than the completed
Premier Inn block.
The additional storey has been accommodated within the
additional 1.5m by reducing the ceiling heights in all of the apartments.
The size of apartments has been reduced, increasing the proportion of
1-bed flats has allowed more flats in each storey.
The developer proposes that 10 flats in Block E would be offered
as ‘affordable’. This is in addition to the £2m payment which they are to
make, in lieu of providing any affordable flats in the approved
development.
There will be no increase in the number of car parking spaces on
the development, as the additional flats will be ‘car-free’.
There is now just a single ground-floor cycle store instead of one
on each floor.
6
The ground floor would be seven retail units plus one unit shown
as office/commercial.
Other documents
The application also includes supporting documents: Landscape and
Visual Impact Assessment; Transport Statement; Planning Statement,
Daylight and Sunlight Report, and Statement of Community
Engagement.
Planning policy
The application will be considered against the current planning policy,
which is contained in the Vale of White Horse District Council Local Plan
2031; Botley Centre Supplementary Planning Document; Design Guide
Supplementary Planning Document; North Hinksey Parish
Neighbourhood Plan; and the National Planning Policy Framework.
There is more description, documentation and planning policy on
https://westwayconcern.wordpress.com/resources/resources-2/
Our comments
We object to the increase in the height of the building. The
Supplementation Planning Document states buildings of “up to 8
storeys”.
The development area is already over-developed.
There is inadequate outdoor amenity space.
The proposal that some of the flats could be sold as car-free is
not credible. It would be highly likely to lead to further parking on
local streets, unless a Controlled Parking Zone is put in place.
A new Visual Impact Assessment is needed. It is not enough to
assert that the additional height will not have an impact.
A single cycle store serving all 150 flats is unlikely to be secure.
It is not conveniently located for the entrance to the flats.
The refuse stores are not conveniently located.
Contact us by email at westwayconcern@gmail.com or read the
history of the campaign at westwayconcern.wordpress.com
Mary Gill
7
The Botley community fridge is now one of Oxford’s
three food parcel delivery hubs
Had you happened past the parking lot at the back of the new Seacourt
Hall on a Thursday morning, you’ll have seen lots of people making a
miniature city from boxes and bags of food parcels. The Botley
community fridge has, for the duration of the lock down, become one of
Oxford’s three main food parcel delivery hubs, and Thursday is our main
delivery day.
The April Sprout described how the community fridge had to move from
St. Peter & St. Paul’s church and become ‘virtual’ because of
Coronavirus. Shortly after that, the Seacourt Hall Management
Committee kindly offered us the use of the lovely new Seacourt Hall,
and Branches café lent us their refrigerator.
We then started receiving free pre-packed food parcels from SOFEA,
which is a brilliant Didcot-based charity that picks up surplus food from
wholesalers regionally, brings the food back to their depot, and gives
warehouse training to young people who would otherwise be excluded
from school. Each of their parcels contains ten items of non-
perishables (pasta, tins etc.) plus fruit and vegetables. To that we add
‘Botley bags’ of surplus food from Waitrose, Aldi, Magdalen Street and
8
West Way Tescos, the Oxford Food Bank, and donations from local
residents. The parish council kindly contributes toilet rolls.
We started ‘advertising’ the food parcels in late March, and in the first
few weeks we increased the number of recipients by about 50% each
week. It currently stands at nearly 200 households. In mid May, we
formally became one of Oxford’s three food parcel hubs, responsible for
everyone in OX1 and OX2. The other two hubs, Barton and Rose Hill,
are bigger than us and responsible for the rest of Oxford. We are the
only hub run entirely by volunteers.
The food parcels vary in size according to the number of people in the
household, and the contents depend on what is surplus in any given
week. We do not attempt to provide all the food a household needs, but
we do provide a good basis.
We soon found out that young families needed milk and nappies, and
that some people need incontinence pants. Happily, two Oxford
residents made large money donations soon to be topped up with a
grant which allow us to deliver these things on Mondays, along with
extra food for larger families. On Mondays we also deliver specialist
food: gluten free, FODMAP food for people with IBS, food for people
with no cooking facilities etc. We provide emergency food parcels five
days per week, and bike food to homeless people three times per week.
9
If you live in OX1 or OX2 and need a food parcel emergency, weekly
or both please email food@myphone.coop or preferably fill in the
form at https://forms.gle/ofPngUCzU8ER5FRD8. If you live in OX3 or
OX4 fill in https://forms.oxfordtogether.org/support-form.
The Botley community fridge’s food parcel operations would not be
possible without about 40 fantastic volunteers, and donations from
many people from the local community (including a regular supply of
much-appreciated home made samosas for our volunteers). If the
epidemic has brought about one good thing, it has been the heart-
warming surge of support between neighbours. Our volunteers not only
deliver food but also make sure that the food parcel recipients get other
support that they need, and in turn the Botley community fridge feels
wonderfully supported by the local community.
After this is all over, the plan is to maybe move to a larder model,
where people become food club members and pick up their own food
parcels, possibly from the West Oxford Community Centre. In the
meantime, Thursdays have become the best day in my week it gives
me a real thrill to see all of those parcels being packed with donated
food and going out in our volunteer drivers’ cars.
Riki Therivel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS
P20/V1036/FUL
Black Horse House, Wallbrook
Court North Hinksey Lane. Minor
external alterations.
29 April
Comments: May
TDD: 24 June
P20/V1073/LDP 10 Chestnut Rd. Loft conversion,
extending hipped roof to form a
gable end & window alterations.
4 May
Target Decision
Date: 29 June
P20/V1138/HH 17 Yarnells Hill. Extend existing
ground floor extension to line of
first floor extension.
13 May
Comments 10/6
TDD: 8 July
P20/V1132/FUL 186 Westminster Way. Convert
existing separate garage into
habitable space for full time
rental.
21 May
Comments 16/6
TDD: 16 July
10
Botley and Kennington Patients Participation Group
An 80-year-old friend asked Dr Elaine Sugden (a retired consultant
oncologist) a number of questions about the spread of COVID-19. She
checked the latest information from various sources. Here is what she
said.
1. How likely is it that a person without any symptoms could infect
others? Very. A person who has the virus is infectious for 2--3 days
before showing symptoms. They are at the peak of 'infectivity' just after
symptoms start, and then gradually less so for up to 10 days or more.
And usually still infectious for a few days after the end of symptoms.
2. How is the virus mainly spread from one person to another? Spread
is either directly by coughing or sneezing, or by touching contaminated
surfaces – which is where the hand-washing routine comes in.
3. What is the likely outcome for someone who is infected by the virus?
Is it a child? The majority have either no or only very mild symptoms.
But, as with adults, there is a significant risk for children with underlying
health conditions to be very poorly. In a recent study in the USA, 80% of
children needing intensive care had underlying health conditions.
Is it a healthy adult? Good.
Is it a healthy old person? Less good, but still reasonable. As we age
our immune system is less effective (so cancers increase with age).
'Underlying conditions' which increase vulnerability are: diseases which
affect the lungs, heart, kidneys, liver, nervous system, diabetes; serious
obesity; pregnancy; those having chemotherapy and some sorts of
radiotherapy for cancer.
4. What proportion of people who are infected require treatment or
Intensive Care in hospital? We don't know for the UK because in
general we don't know who has had the disease (most of those in the
community with symptoms have not been tested). In China it was
recorded that about 1 in 5 over 80s and 1 in 100 under 30s needed to
be hospitalised.
5. What is the rate of success of such hospital treatments? Half of
those in intensive care survive, but only one in three of those who need
ventilation (this is why medics clap someone who is able to leave
intensive care).
11
Not everyone goes into intensive care. If someone is known to be
already very frail and medical experience has shown that they will not
survive the ordeal, it is better not to go. Of course this may mean dying
at home, but they might well prefer that to dying in isolation in hospital.
The care home situation has been serious hospitals were emptied of
all who were ready for discharge to make room for Covid patients. But it
appears that some of the elderly returning to care homes were infected,
though we can’t be sure, as they were never tested. The care homes
didn't know these residents were infected and anyway often didn't have
enough personal protective equipment, and so the other residents, far
from being shielded as was intended, were an opportunity for the virus
to spread unchecked. Sadly, of course, this also exposed the staff to the
virus and some of them, and even members of their families, have died,
as well as many care home residents.
Who we are: Botley and Kennington Patient Participation Group
consists of volunteers who are registered patients of the Botley Medical
Centre and Kennington Health Centre. Our main aims are: to promote
the well-being of patients and to facilitate positive and effective two-way
communication between the practice and its patients.
Sylvia Buckingham (Chair), Chris Sugden (Secretary)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oxford Rugby Club – historic sporting venue
Oxford Rugby Football Club, situated down the far end of North Hinksey
Lane, is the oldest rugby club in Oxfordshire by some distance. It was
formed in 1909, following a meeting at the old Clarendon Hotel in
Cornmarket Street, where the Gap store now stands. The founding
member, Alfred St George Hamersley, played in the first ever
International rugby match for England against Scotland in 1871, and he
remained as President for twenty years.
The club was called the Oxfordshire Nomads: ‘Oxfordshire’ because
there were no other rugby clubs in the county, and ‘Nomads’ as it never
had a home ground and played on several grounds as the years went
by. This accounts for the Nomadic figure in the club’s badge.
12
But all this changed in 1947. The Club President, Mr RB ‘Bunny’ Cole, a
local solicitor, negotiated the sale
from Wadham College of a plot of
land just off the Southern Bypass
beyond North Hinksey Village. The
rugby club could not afford to run
the ground alone, so Oxford Sports
Ground was formed to include
cricket, hockey, rugby, tennis and
archery. The photo shows Bunny
Cole at the official opening of the
ground in May 1950, with the Mayor
of Oxford, Mrs F M Andrews. At this
time the Oxfordshire County Union was refused entry to the national
County Championship because it was not strong enough. To raise
standards, it was suggested that local clubs send their best players to
the club, from which a county team could be selected. After much
discussion this idea was accepted and to facilitate this the club agreed
to change its name to Oxford RFC, thus reflecting the city. The name
‘Nomads’ was kept for the Second XV to preserve the club’s past.
In 1969 the rugby club found itself in a position to buy the assets of the
Oxford Sports Club, as its sister sports had financially fallen by the
wayside, and in that year the rugby club became the sole owners of the
ground. Since that time the club has improved the facilities with two
squash courts. It became the first club in Oxfordshire to provide
floodlights on the First XV pitch.
In 2009 the club celebrated 100 years with many varied activities and,
ten years on, provides rugby for two and sometimes three senior men’s
teams and a senior ladies’ team, all playing in the national league
structure. On Sunday mornings the premises are a lively hub for much
younger players, as the mini and junior sections run separate teams
from Under 7 right through to Under 16 years of age.
Today the clubhouse provides a warm and comfortable bar with a
separate lounge and a large hall with kitchen used for meetings and
after-match dinners. It is an ideal facility for outside hire for parties,
wedding receptions etc. Why not come along and sample the happy
atmosphere for yourself?
Richard Tyrrell
13
Scouts Zoom into Action
Young people from the 4th Oxford Scout Group have been continuing to
meet on weekday evenings using Zoom. The leaders sent Beavers
packs of materials to
use for activities this
term. They have been
completing their
health and fitness
badges, as well as
celebrating the
anniversary of VE day
and planting seeds in
yoghurt pots to work
towards their
gardeners’ badge. The
Cubs have been
learning semaphore
(and learnt that flags
at arm’s length don’t
fit within the video
screen!). They’ve also
been making short
stop-motion films. The
Scouts’ packs
included such things
as maps, a compass,
electronic parts to
build a Morse code
buzzer, and the parts
to build mini
‘pioneering’ structures
like bridges and
towers.
The Scouts also received bingo cards, with each ‘number being a
picture of something needed for survival in the wilderness. Interestingly,
bingo has featured before in the group’s history: our accounts show that
a large part of our fundraising when we built our hut in the early 1970s
was from regular bingo nights. We’d be interested to hear from anyone
involved who can remember them.
14
Over 90 young people
in the group took part
in a world-wide
#CampAtHome event
on the night of 30th
April. Everyone slept
somewhere other than
in their bed: dens
were made in living
rooms, tents put up in
gardens (and
indoors). The leaders
lit a virtual campfire
with all sections
joining one enormous
Zoom call in the early evening. Much fun (and not much sleep) was had
by all. Over 95,000 young people from 68 countries took part on the
same evening, to make a new world record.
James Wynne
15
Oxfordshire Community Land Trust
Since we last contacted you, we've seen the world change as a result of
the Covid-19 pandemic. We know that the situation will be affecting our
members and our wider community in Oxfordshire in different and
challenging ways, particularly around their housing security. Our
solidarity goes out to you all. For this reason, we also hope that the
important role that Community Land Trusts can play in rebuilding
our housing system is recognised, and the progress we've made can
be built on in recovery planning. Despite the lock down, we have news
to share of our progress on the exciting Dean Court housing
development. Here is an artist’s impression of what we plan to build.
It involves eight affordable homes for rent in an area with an acute
shortage of affordable housing on the edge of the City of Oxford in the
Vale of White Horse District Council. We can reveal that we are
currently appointing contractors and, whilst the Covid situation may
bring delays, we hope to be commencing building work on site in
Autumn. Watch this space for more updates.
Are you from the Dean Court area and on Vale District Council's
Housing Register (find out more)? You might be eligible to move into our
new development – get in touch.
We've been following the National Community Land Trust's arguments
about how, whilst house building may help support economic recovery, it
is vital that these homes are affordable and in community ownership
(read the article here).The good news is that the Government has finally
acknowledged the contributions of land trusts to local communities and
the call for further investment (read more here).
Fran Ryan, Director
16
Lockdown Life
What have people been doing during lockdown? Emma Gordon has
been studying nature. Ruth Cameron has been absorbing culture,
Carmen Caldera has been taking photographs, and your editor has
been picking elderflowers. How about you?
A World in a Jar
How have you been spending your lockdown days? I had a happy time
recently in the company of my four-year-old son and a big jar of pond
water. Isolation and the slower pace of life let me marvel at the minutiae
of things that I had scarcely registered before.
Overnight, the murky water
settled to crystal clear, and an
ecosystem of fascinating
characters was revealed.
Initially it was the tadpoles
which caught our attention, but
then there was the whirligig
beetle. Surprisingly, it was the
water snails who turned out to
have the most personality. The
longer we watched (magnifying
glass in hand), the more
fascinated we became by the
tiny creatures zipping back and
forth.
As we studied the action, it
became clear that the surface
of the water the meniscus
has a very real presence in the
everyday lives of these aquatic
dwellers. Did you know snails
can slither along the underside
as if it were a polished floor,
and that the malicious, hairy looking mosquito larvae anchor themselves
into it?
17
I was surprised that it was not more of a dog-eat-dog world in there. I
kept expecting the tadpoles to eat the sludge worms or the water
hoglice to gobble up the mosquito larvae. But mostly they all avoided
each other. In fact the most sinister residents turned out to be one of the
smallest and most fascinating. The water hydra tiny green plants, less
than a millimetre long, who capture prey in their hair-like tendrils and
ingest them through what could be the top of their heads! Fascinating to
my young companion (and to me too, it must be said)
A most serene and satisfying afternoon was spent drawing and
identifying these characters, and we were sad when the time came to
pass them on to our friend to populate his pond. We had grown fond of
our temporary guests. But the insight into the plethora of dynamic
animals and plants that live in what I had thought of as nothing more
exciting than a murky, smelly pond will remain with me long after
lockdown is over!
Emma Gordon
The Ashmolean at your Fingertips
So: Lockdown continues, and our favourite museums and galleries
remain closed. But there is hope. Oxford's own Ashmolean has
prepared an online Pandora's box of
treats to please a variety of tastes.
Predictably, the site concentrates on
Young Rembrandt, the Museum's Spring
feature, open for scarcely a month before
the premature closure. However, the Staff
have compiled a series of thematic
presentations which bring the Dutch
Master into your own home. They begin
with a 7-minute video introduction by the
Curator. I really appreciated the video's
brevity: these things can be unbearably
long. The Curator gives a vivid picture of
Rembrandt from a hesitant, blemished 18-
year-old starting his career in 1624, to international prominence at 28,
when the Exhibition ends.
18
These thematic presentations include his early formative years in his
home town of Leiden; the move to Amsterdam; descriptions of his
family; details of his particular interest and expertise in etching; the
innovative nature of his subjects, i.e., ordinary people doing ordinary,
even crude, things; the breadth of his scope, notably in his frequent
depiction of old age.
Having saturated yourself with Rembrandt, you've a choice in this
website of several other types of presentations. My first port of call was
looking at the feature on the Society of Wood Engravers, which is
celebrating its centenary this year with a comprehensive exhibition at
the Ashmolean. Sadly, lockdown arrived just before it was due to open.
Let’s hope we can see it in person later in the year. In the meantime,
you can explore a clear and concise explanation of what wood
engraving is, a hands-on introduction to having a go at it yourself, and
illustrations of stunning work from previous SWE exhibitions.
Besides specific exhibitions, the museum continues in its ambitious
project to catalogue its entire Collection on line. Thus far, they have
managed to include 131,500 pieces of work: paintings, ceramics,
sculpture. You choose a category, click onto whatever catches your
fancy, and up comes factual information about your choice.
Possibly my favourite section in The Ashmolean Online is their Stories.
These are refreshingly brief but sufficiently detailed accounts of a
particular work, or type of activity. For example, at the moment there
are features on working at home in wartime China in 1943, contrasted
with contemporary Oxford artists' lockdown experiences...or you might
prefer to refresh your memory of Last Supper in Pompeii, with several
lively pieces on offer, including a video of Heston Blumenthal's
instructions on how to make carbonised bread.
Finally, for anyone wanting something more hands-on, there are two
activities: Artists in Residence, a competition whose theme is your
reaction to lockdown. There are three age-related entry groups and a
wide variety of media is invited. The deadline is July 31st.
Even more innovative is Isolation Creations, an ongoing compilation of
your reactions at home to particular artworks at the Ashmolean which
they are posting on Twitter. Some early examples of creative results are
displayed on their website. Why not have a go yourself?
Ruth Cameron
19
Carmen’s Coronavirus Project
My name is Carmen Caldera,
and I was born in Spain in 1970.
After a what seemed like a
lifetime as a lawyer, I moved to
England in 2014, and in Botley I
found a new home, new friends
and a welcoming community.
Not wanting to work as a lawyer
any more, I turned to my old
passion for photography, and it
keeps on growing. I take
hundreds of photos, learning all
the time. What drives me is a
desire to identify in my photos
the beauty and sweetness of
life.
I have started a project to
photograph the people of Botley
on their doorsteps during the
Covid-19 lockdown. I created this project so that, in the midst of so
much pain, there would also be a nice memory for all the confined
families. And I chose black and white as a sign of respect for the victims
and to give a more serious touch
to a moment like this. When I
have finished, I will print the
photos in an album, and donate
it to Botley library as a historical
memento.
After the pandemic is over, I
would like to work as a
professional photographer and
make my dreams come true.
If you would like me to take your
family’s photograph, please
phone me on 07884
055393.Thank you very much.
Carmen Caldera
20
This is Carmen (below), and here are a few more of her family portraits:
Jez and Fiona Marshall (bottom left), Richard and Adam Evans-Lee and
their dog, Chico (bottom right) and the Clay family (opposite).
On the previous page we saw Simon Chorley and Aquila Mavalankar
(upper) and the Edens family (lower).
21
22
Elderflowers
Elderflowers are one of the miracles of Nature, and 2020 is a good year.
They are all around us right now. Pick them when they are creamy-
yellowy with pollen for the best taste. Here are some topical recipes.
Elderflower Cordial – perfect for hot weather!
You will need:
25 Elderflower panicles
I kg granulated sugar
50g citric acid
2 or 3 sliced lemons
scant 2 litres of water
Put them all in a bucket or bowl, cover it and stir off and on for three
days, then strain and refrigerate lasts about ten
days in the fridge. Dilute to serve, add ice cubes.
The Long Hello
Having made your cordial, you could use it in
this exciting cocktail.
a measure of Calvados
a measure of cordial
dash of bitters
Dust off the cocktail shaker and fill it with ice. Pour in the ingredients
23
and shake them all together, strain into a cocktail glass and top up with
cremant or any other sparkling wine (champagne, for instance!). Grate a
little nutmeg on top as a finishing touch.
Elderflower Sorbet
You could also use your cordial to make this refreshing sorbet. Just
freeze a suitable quantity of neat cordial, stirring it now and then. When
it’s getting stiff, whisk up the whites of a couple of eggs till they are a
dense froth and stir them gently in, then put it back in the freezer till it is
quite solid. Serve garnished with a sprig of mint.
And, easiest of all Elderflower fritters
Pick your panicles with six-inch stems for this.
Make a thick pancake batter, and heat an inch of oil in a pan until it is
good and hot. Check the elderflowers for insects, then dip them into the
batter, give them a shake, and press them into the hot oil. Twirl them
round to spread them out. When they look crispy, take them out and
dredge them with sifted icing sugar. Delicious!
Finally, if you’re making gooseberry jam, don’t forget to add a couple of
elderflower heads (or a splash of cordial). It makes all the difference!
Ag MacKeith
24
Randoms
Fears for Kennington Health Centre
Our local Patients Participation Group has expressed concern that the
Kennington Heath Centre was closed without warning at the end of
March. It has been transformed into a Coronavirus Clinic, providing
patient care during the crisis for people with suspected Covid-19
infection.
This means that, for the duration of the crisis, people in Kennington no
longer have a local health centre. Unfortunately there has been sparse
communication from Botley & Kennington Medical Practice, and the
opportunity to liaise with Kennington patients via the PPG has been
missed. The PPG is worried that once the crisis is over they may find
they have lost their local surgery permanently.
When they asked the Practice how the Health Centre would reopen
(expecting to hear that it would be duly disinfected and reopened as
soon as possible) there was no reply. Consequently they fear the worst
that they will find when the crisis is over that their local health centre
was another coronavirus casualty. They have written to Layla Moran
explaining how vital the health centre is to the residents of Kennington,
and seeking her support to ensure it stays open. They have enlisted the
support of local parish councils as well, and invite Botley residents to
get in touch with the PPG if they are experiencing knock-on effects with
the increased take-up at Elms Road.
These are strange times, we can all agree, and we have every
sympathy with our local practice as it tries to hold the line under huge
pressure. But the whole point of Patient Participation Groups is to give
doctors a way of relating to their patients as a group. Let us hope that
the Botley & Kennington Medical Practice finds a quiet moment in the
whirlwind to reassure the PPG that they will not let the Kennington
Health Centre go to the wall.
Mixed Feelings about Hinksey Heights Nature Park
It is clear that the Hinksey Heights nature park is suffering from too
much attention. Sprout readers will be aware that it has become a very
popular place for local families with children during lockdown, but the
effect of heavy foot traffic on the elderly boardwalks was punishing. A
25
large part of the problem was the mountain-bikers. The board walks
were not designed for this kind of use, hence the No Cycling signs.
John Brimble, one of the directors, was seriously thinking of closing it,
but was persuaded by a chance meeting with Ruth Vaughan and her
family, that this would be a shame. Instead, he advertised on Botley
Notice Board for some help to get the boardwalks repaired, and found a
whole team of willing volunteers. The work is now under way. Well
done, everyone, for finding this creative solution!
And now local residents in Stanton Road have got in touch to say they
are suffering from the park’s popularity. Dodgy activities take place there
at night (the police are investigating), there have been problems with
seriously bad behaviour and some villains have made off with the
painted stones that gave so much innocent pleasure. It is so crowded
that it’s hard to maintain social distancing, and it doesn’t feel as safe
and pleasant as it used to.
Hopefully, now that lockdown has eased a bit, and some of our children
are back in school, the pressures will be less. But please be aware of
the problems and spread your visits more thinly. As for the bikers, let us
hope that the burly volunteers repairing the boardwalks will take the
chance to talk to them and suggest they go further afield.
North Hinksey Plant Stall
Thank you to all who supported the North Hinksey Village Green plant
sales for the NHS Oxford Masks appeal this last month. Over £1200
has been raised so far from the sales of flower and vegetable plants.
Thank you to those who brought plants to contribute to the sale. There
are plenty of tomatoes of different varieties left. The plant trolley is out
on the Green daily.
Sian Lewis, Sally Prime, Chris and Elaine Sugden, Josie Webber
Washable face masks
Hi all! I just wanted to thank you for helping me raise £1000 for NHS
Charities Together! Since lockdown is starting to come to an end I am
reopening for curtain and alteration needs from 1st June, so please
contact me. I am still raising money for the NHS. You can buy my cloth
face masks for £6, just message me via Nextdoor North Hinksey. A
pound from every sale goes towards NHS Charities Together. Nasrin
26
Parish Clerk
The Parish Council would like to thank the outgoing Clerk, Colin Ryde,
for his hard work over the last couple of years, and to welcome Sharon
Henley, Parish Clerk for Leafield, who will be doing the work in locum for
the next three months, while a replacement for Colin is found.
Fenland Regeneration Group
Every second Sunday each month, between 10am and 3pm, volunteers
are working on the Hinksey Heights Fen Restoration Area, an
internationally important Priority Habitat, to help regenerate small wild
wetland flowers. The Hinksey Heights fen is one of several around the
city including the ones in Hutchcomb Copse and Raleigh Park. If you
would like to volunteer with the Hinksey Heights group at a Social
Distance of course! contact sally.gillard17@gmail.com tel. 07950
558609 or emayhew@freshwateerhabitats.org.uk tel. 07894 036363
Botley in Bloom
Here is the form if you don’t have email. Send it to Ag MacKeith, South
View, Old Botley, OX2 0JR.
Closing date is June 15th.
27
Botley in Bloom 2020
I would like to enter the Botley in Bloom competition
Name (please print)………...…………………………………….
Address ………………………………………..….………………..
Contact details: email …………..…………….. phone ………………
Please tick relevant category
Category 1 (Overall best front garden)
Category 2 (Car bower)
Category 3 (Vegetable element)
28
COVID-19
Community Hub website and Botley Responders
For all you need to know for local and national support during the
lockdown visit the COVID-19 community hub page on the parish council
website: https://northhinksey-pc.gov.uk/covid-19-community-hub/
The hub includes sections on how to get support, medical and
prescription services, food deliveries and shop opening details, how to
stay connected, keep fit and stay mentally healthy, council services,
financial advice, how to volunteer and things to do for all the family.
The Things to do Section includes ways to safely enjoy the outdoors
plus online exercise, art and crafts like Artweeks online, music, free
online learning, a local weekly pub quiz and much more. Stay fit, learn
and enjoy while supporting your local small businesses.
The hub also has links to our list of Botley Responders over 50
volunteer street coordinators who represent their roads, providing
information and support, setting up local street WhatsApp and email
groups, delivering leaflets, helping with shopping and friendly phone
calls to make sure no-one is cut off even if they have to self-isolate. A
huge thank you to everyone who has volunteered to help in their street
and to put the resources together for the website.
We still have some streets without representatives and other volunteer
opportunities so if you can help please email
BotleyResponders@gmail.com Please check the web page regularly
as it is kept continually up-to-date. Lorna Berrett
29
The Sprout
The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Dir e ctor s : Jan e t Ba r tlam , Jud i Bol d er, Joh n Cle m ents ,
Mi c h ael C ock m a n, A g Mac K e ith , Rob i n Pal m er
Editor
Ag MacKeith
South View House, Old Botley, OX2 0JR Tel: 724452 Editor@TheSprout.org.uk
Advertising Manager
Michael Cockman
50, St Paul's Crescent OX2 9AG Tel: 07766 317691 Adverts@TheSprout.org.uk
Del i v eri e s
Bhee Bellew and Robin Cox
15 Seacourt Road, OX2 9LD Tel: 790648 Deliveries@TheSprout.org.uk
Copy Date: Copy by 15th of month preceding publication. Earlier submission is
welcome. Later contributions may have to be held over to the next issue.
Advertisements: If you have print-ready advertisements in the correct format the last
day for booking advertising is the 10th of the month preceding publication; in all other
circumstances more advance notice will be needed. For details about exact sizes,
quality requirements, advice on text and help with production, please contact the
Advertising Manager.
Advertising rates:
½ page: 1 issue £56; 3 issues £135; 5 issues £182; 10 issues; £308
¼ page: 1 issue £28; 3 issues £67.50; 5 issues £91; 10 issues; £154
1/8 page: 1 issue £14; 3 issues £33.75; 5 issues £45.50; 10 issues; £77
Subscriptions: If you live outside North Hinksey Parish you can still receive The
Sprout on a regular basis. Just take out a postal subscription only £10 per annum,
delivered to your door. Contact: Carol Kramer 01865 243002.
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information printed in this
newsletter, mistakes may happen. The Editor and Team apologize unreservedly for any
errors that may occur and will do their best to correct them. This publication is not a
vehicle of the parish council, and parish councillors working with the Sprout do so in a
personal capacity. Opinions expressed are the opinions of the individual contributors.
All concerned in the production and delivery of The Sprout are unpaid volunteers.
The S pro u t is ( nor m a lly ) pri n t ed b y Da t a pri n t Lt d , an d i s pu b lish e d
by N o rth H ink s e y Pa r i sh P u blic a tio n s Ltd , (a c omp a n y l i m ite d b y
gua r a nte e ) Reg i s tra t i on N o . 0 5 6 095 3 5 .
It c a n a l s o be f ound onli n e at Botl e yHin k sey. o rg. u k
30